Month: October 2012

Wet process and dry process are two basic choice types of processing that freshly picked coffee cherries undergo. Most coffees go through a wet process which washes the shell of the cherry off of the bean.

The dry process on the other hand, is where the coffee cherries are thrown on to sunning beds and dried in the sun. Once it is dry, the coffee bean is then separated from the hull. The dry process is not used very much because it takes much longer to process and if it rains while the beans are on the sunning beds, the crop is ruined. Besides taking longer and being difficult to process, a sun dried coffee is also harder to roast.

So why go through all of the trouble of dry processing in the first place? Because the end result is something unusually spectacular. When you grind this coffee your nose will get a whiff of exotic spices like cinnamon and fruity notes of blueberries. Brewing seems to take much longer than usual because of the anticipation of drinking this wonderful and unique coffee. Once the anticipation is over and you begin to drink it, you will find that although the aroma is intense and the flavors are overpowering, in fact, this coffee is surprisingly very light, crisp, naturally sweet and refreshing.

This coffee is definitely not for everyone because it is so exotic and different from what many people are used to experiencing. You simply cannot “THINK coffee”. I have found those who appreciate fine foods and wines enjoy this coffee the most.

Here is my video blog of me sharing more about this truly wonderful and unique coffee.

Coffee may taste good and get you going in the morning, but what will it do for your health?

You know the old expression. If you like something it will probably be fattening, illegal, or will kill you. There are several studies posted in medical journals that show that drinking coffee has definite health benefits. Finally, there is something you can indulge in and not feel guilty about.

Below are a few examples that I found.

Coffee drinkers live longer

A May 2012 study by the New England Journal of Medicine found that, during the course of their study, coffee drinkers “who drank at least two or three cups a day were about 10 percent or 15 percent less likely to die for any reason during the 13 years of the study”. The researchers who conducted the study said that this doesn’t necessarily provide a cause-and-effect relationship, but will help point other researchers in the right direction.

Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia

Several studies comparing moderate coffee drinkers (defined as 3–5 cups per day) with light coffee drinkers (defined as 0–2 cups per day) found that those who drank more coffee were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease later in life. A longitudinal study in 2009 found that moderate coffee drinkers had reduced risk of developing dementia in addition toAlzheimer’s disease.

Let me conclude with this. There are several reasons specialty grade coffee is better for you than the lower grades. The main reason is that only the ripe cherries are handed picked.

In a typical situation with NON-specialty grade coffee, the harvester will simply strip the entire branch of the coffee cherries. Un-ripened and over ripened coffee beans are all processed together which causes upset stomachs and coffee jitters. Also, foreign matter is allowed to be processed with the beans.

I am just thankful to know that there are enjoyable and delicious things in life that are actually good for our health and legal!

When I sat down to write the business plan, there were certain criteria that had to be met. The first one was to never compromise quality. If Tap Dancers Specialty Coffee was a publicly traded company, it would have a board of directors, a CEO, a CFO and shareholders. They would pressure me to cut corners on quality to reduce the bottom line to be able to increase the top line. This is the strategy they would use to ensure more money in their pockets.

Buying the finest beans and masterfully roasting in small batches are definitely not the most cost efficient way to sell coffee. Not to mention the bags with the clear back, one way degassing valves and zip lock seal. But, these items were the perfect formula for providing the finest specialty coffee to my customers and I dare say, worth every penny. It brings me great pleasure to be able to give access to this “luxury” to everyone.

Another component of the plan was pricing. I decided that we would price the coffee with a fair mark up. The Bible says a wise man will have several advisors which I have made sure to do. Some of them have said that I am not charging enough for my coffee. On the west coast similar coffees sell for $20.00- $25.00 per bag. Others have suggested that I raise the prices so that I can then offer sales and discounts, because “that is what works for the Omaha market.” After debating these ideas the decision was to go with a simple pricing plan and stay away from all the gimmicks.

You might ask yourself, “Do you ever give your coffee away or offer discounts?” Don’t get me wrong. I understand that the whole purpose of marketing and advertising is to get people to try your product and hopefully, fall in love with it. That is why we are out at different events around town giving away free samples. We currently give free coffee away as part of our radio promotion on KGBI and we also will sell our coffee for a one time discount to new customers with Daily Deals (similar to Groupon and Living Social). We even have a special promotion from now till the end of November 2012 that offers a free Clever Dripper if you sign up to receive your coffee on a weekly or bi-weekly basis as our way of saying thank you.

Bottom line is that we will always provide the best at the fairest price possible without using gimmicks. I personally want you to experience what my wife and I experience every morning…..the world finest cup of coffee.